Jet Star to be removed from ocean today

At last, symbol of Sandy's wrath will be just a memory

May 14, 2013

The Jet Star roller coaster sits in the water just off Casino Pier in Seaside Heights on April 5. / PETER ACKERMAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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SEASIDE HEIGHTS — In just a few days, the view of the Jet Star roller coaster in the Atlantic Ocean will be lost to history.

Weeks Marine of Cranford will begin removing the Casino Pier ride from the water on Tuesday, more than six months after superstorm Sandy dropped it there and less than two weeks before Memorial Day. Watch the video above to catch a glimpse of the coaster in the water, and don’t forget to tune in to APP.com on your desktop after noon as we bring you live streaming video coverage from the event.

“It is a huge relief to know we finally have a starting time and in the next few days we’ll see progress and an ocean clear of debris,” Casino Pier spokeswoman Toby Wolf said.

Casino Pier officials signed a contract in mid-April with Weeks Marine of Cranford to remove the Jet Star and other rides from the ocean.

Before the work could begin, the company needed to take an underwater inventory to determine what remained below the surface after six months and what equipment its workers would need to remove it, Wolf said. Then, Weeks Marine needed steady sunny weather.

Equipment will arrive in the morning and then work will begin in the afternoon, Wolf said. Coincidentally, Prince Harry is expected to visit Seaside Heights on Tuesday.

It will take 48 hours for the Jet Star and other rides that Sandy dropped in the water to be salvaged, she said.

Weeks Marine is contracted to handle the underwater salvage as well as demolition of the upper deck of the Casino Pier, which needs to be removed after Sandy broke up large portions of it, Wolf said. That demolition will take more time, she said.

Pier officials have not disclosed the cost of the contract or the estimated cost of the work and it isn’t yet clear how Weeks Marine will remove the Jet Star and the other rides.

Pier officials intend to rebuild the amusement pier and open the lower deck with limited rides for Memorial Day weekend. Wolf said a section of the Jet Star will be kept to make a memorial on the newly constructed pier.